A taste of New York comes to Etowah

They're called the frankfurters that “New Yorkers relish,” but this summer Etowah residents have felt like top dog of the South with exclusive access of their own right here in Western North Carolina.

By Gary GlancyTimes-News correspondent

They're called the frankfurters that “New Yorkers relish,” but this summer Etowah residents have felt like top dog of the South with exclusive access of their own right here in Western North Carolina.For many Northeasterners, the Sabrett hot dog is a cultural icon and an integral part of daily life. “They're all over the cities up there,” said Arlene Silvia of Brevard, a native of Brooklyn, N.Y., “and on the streets, hot dog carts are all over the place.”In June, Silvia opened a Sabrett stand, Acme Hot Dog Co., in the heart of Etowah at the Intersection of U.S. 64 and Brickyard Road, in the parking lot of the Corner Market. As the only game in town selling true Sabretts — those with an all-beef natural casing intact — the familiar blue-and-yellow umbrella has been a welcome sight for the many New York and New Jersey transplants living in Henderson County, according to Silvia.“There are a lot of northerners in the area,” she said, “and they'd see the umbrella and say, 'I can't believe I've found real Sabretts,' and that it's nice to see something from home here.”Yankees aren't the only ones enjoying the distinctively all-beef, natural-cased wieners, however, as lifelong Western North Carolinians such as Etowah resident Ben Cathey are now being introduced to Silvia's Sabretts. On Saturday, Cathey and his family enjoyed a hot dog lunch on one of the roadside picnic tables next to Silvia's cart.“I don't know if it was the slaw or the hot dog or just buying a hot dog from a hot dog stand, but I really enjoyed it and my kids loved it, too,” Cathey said. “My son (Mason) said it's the best hot dog he's ever had.”Minutes later, Silvia saw a familiar face pull up in her car, Etowah's Mary Rammacca, who has been savoring her new find this summer.“I'm glad we have this in Etowah,” Rammacca said. “There's really not many (fast-service) places to eat here — if you want something quick you've got to go to either Brevard or to Hendersonville, so this is really good. And I love the hot dogs; I like them better than the Ball Park, actually. I usually buy Ball Park but I prefer these. They're really good, and I prefer the beef over pork.”Silvia and her husband, Mike, have been in the restaurant/food-service business for decades, and 20 years ago she ran a hot-dog stand in downtown Brevard. Hampered by poor weather that summer, Silvia said it just wasn't the right time, so she sold the business.“But I've always loved doing it and I always wanted to get another cart and get back into it,” she said.So this year, Silvia began scoping out new locations and eventually approached Corner Market owners Amy and Bill Detmering about renting space in their parking lot.“And they said, 'Sure, let's give it a try,' and it's worked out ever since,” Silvia said. “They've been so wonderful — they even purchased these tables to put out here. They gave me a trial week to see if it would work for both of us, and I knew by the third day this would be a good spot, just the way the community had reacted to the cart.”Silvia offers several types of hot dogs on her menu, including the Carolina Dog (mustard, chili, slaw and onions), the New Yorker (deli mustard and sauerkraut), a Reuben Dog (Swiss cheese, Thousand Island dressing and kraut) and a Buffalo Dog (buffalo wing sauce and Ranch dressing).With only two affiliated distributors within 150 miles of Etowah, where does Silvia get her Sabrett frankfurters and condiments?“I can't tell you that,” she said with a hearty chuckle. “That's the million-dollar question right there. Everybody asks: 'Where do you get these from?' And I tell them, 'I can't divulge that.'”